What About Me Instead of the Holy Saint Who Only Says Harsh Things?
Instead of the saint who only throws harsh words around, how about me?
“Uwoeb...”
When I opened my eyes, a strange ceiling greeted me. A log cabin ceiling crudely tied together with iron wire. It looked a lot like the houses in Daisy Village, yet somehow different.
...Where am I?
“...Aah...”
I tried to sit up and look around, but a sudden headache sent me right back down.
Ah, my head hurts...
Why did it throb so much? Thinking back, I realized I’d gone way too hard on the beer yesterday. After drinking so much on an empty stomach for the first time in forever...
“Hero-sama~♡ Why are you looking around so much~?”
“...Saint-nim?”
I didn’t know when she’d appeared, but Estelle stood in front of me with her eyes curved in a playful smile.
“Did the party last night end well?”
“Yes~♡ The Hero-sama passed out like an idiot so quickly~♡”
“...I’m sorry. It’s been a while, so I drank a little too much.
“You like beer that much?”
“Not that much, though...”
Somehow, because it had been ages, I just couldn’t help myself.
“Lie down a little longer and start waking up slowly. We’re leaving right away.”
“Ah, really? I should say hello to the villagers.
“Mmm~♡ All the villagers are still asleep because they were drinking until late last night. So let’s go ahead first.
Really?
“Still, it’s better to greet them before leaving, don’t you think?”
“Hero-sama, it’s better not to get too attached to fleeting connections.
“...Why?”
Meeting people and building connections is good, right?
“Not every connection brings only good things to Hero-sama~♥”
“...Hmm.”
Even if her words are a little harsh, Estelle truly cares about me. If she says so, there’s no need to follow them blindly.
“Cloe will guide us.”
“Yes~♡”
“But Saint-nim, my head is still hurting... Can you heal this with holy power too?”
“...Does it hurt a lot?”
“Yes.”
I drank after such a long time... It still feels dizzy even now while I’m talking.
“That’s why the dumb Hero-sama shouldn’t have a headache~♡ If you get any dumber, you’d be lower than a tick~♡”
“...Ugh, hearing you say that makes it hurt more.”
“Huhu, I see~♡ I’ll heal Her Majesty Estelle’s headache, Hero-sama who’s a mama’s boy♡”
...Fuck.
“Saint-nim.”
“Yes~♡”
“I really do have a headache. Stop teasing me and heal it properly.”
“...You shouldn’t have drunk so much in the first place.”
“...That’s right.”
...From now on, I’ll drink in moderation.
Estelle had been smiling with her eyes, but then she changed her expression and looked at me. That same look again. Full of worry, she reached out and gently placed her hand on my head, pouring her powerful holy power into me.
“...Ah.”
The throbbing headache vanished and my mind cleared. The dizziness I’d felt earlier disappeared, and my vision sharpened.
“Thank you.”
“...I’m not a hangover remedy, so from now on, try to hold back. You weak Hero-sama♡”
“Yes.”
I really should.
#
“No one from the village is around?”
When we left the village and stepped out into the street, Cloe asked with an odd tone. I relayed Estelle’s words to her exactly as they were.
Hearing that, Cloe tilted her head.
“Hangover?”
“Yes, the saint said so.”
“...Hmm, is that so?”
After hearing the saint’s words, Cloe didn’t look suspicious. She probably thought Estelle’s words were trustworthy.
We walked briskly. Because we’d spent more time than expected in the village while hunting ogres, we had to move quickly to the next village.
We reached the next village without stopping and immediately headed to the inn to secure a table.
The reason we went to the inn was obvious— we were starving after such a long walk.
As soon as Cloe sat, she collapsed forward onto the table.
“Haa... I’m exhausted...”
“You worked hard.”
Since she was a mage who wasn’t used to walking for such a long time, Cloe looked quite tired. Her face showed clear signs of fatigue.
“I’ll take your order~!”
The bright voice of the waitress came over. She handed us the menu and said,
“Take your time choosing and let me know!”
Estelle ordered vegetable stew, I went for meat stew, and Cloe asked for the same meat stew as me. The waitress took the menu and brought us drinks.
“Here’s today’s newspaper. The food will be ready soon~!”
She must think I’m bored while waiting, so she gave me the newspaper. Her sense of timing is good.
On the front page, there was a large headline. The special article took up the entire front section.
I couldn’t figure out what it was about. Not being able to read the letters made it really inconvenient. If I’d been reincarnated as a noble character, the text would have been easy to read.
I had no choice but to show the saint the paper and ask,
“Saint-nim, what’s this about?”
“It says, ‘All residents involved in human trafficking have been arrested!’~♡ Hero-sama can’t even read this? You’re so dumb♡”
Fuck, what am I supposed to do about this body being illiterate?
“...Then teach me.”
“Should I~?”
“Really?”
“If Hero-sama is willing to learn, I’ll teach you~♡ But I’m not sure if a weak Hero-sama has the will to do so♡”
The letters looked like something worth learning. I couldn’t keep asking Estelle to read them every time.
...On another note, human trafficking. Since this is a time before moral concepts and human rights are properly established, maybe there really are people who commit such horrific acts.
Wow, just imagining it is terrifying.
I poked Cloe, who was still slumped over. She lifted her head slightly with a tired face.
“Cloe, look at this. There was a village that did human trafficking.”
“...Eh?”
“It’s written in big letters here.”
Cloe took the paper from me and read the article. Her expression grew more and more strange.
“What’s wrong?”
“Y-Yes?...Ah, it’s nothing. I’m just tired.”
“Ah, I see.”
I wondered if something was wrong because her expression wasn’t great.
Cloe looked at the article, then glanced at Estelle for a moment. Estelle gave her a small smile, but Cloe immediately looked down.
...Why that reaction?
After we finished eating and drinking, we took a short break to plan our next move.
“We only have two more villages until we reach Lancaster City.”
“Mmm, so the time we’ll spend together is almost over.”
When we arrive in Lancaster City, I’ll have to hand Cloe over to the church and send her back to where she belongs. It’s a little sad, but there’s no other way.
“It’s a shame.”
She wasn’t the only one feeling it. Cloe spoke with a voice full of regret.
“Traveling with Hero-sama was fun. But I can’t go back to school...
“We can meet again later.”
“E~♡ Are you planning to meet Cloe separately, Hero-sama~? You lolicon♡”
Hehe......Fuck, what the hell did you just say!? How do you even know the word lolicon!?
“That wasn’t my intention at all.”
“Aah~♡ I never imagined I’d end up with a lolicon Hero-sama~.”
“Listen!
...Crazy bitch.
#
Cloe quietly watched the two of them bickering, then asked Estelle.
“...By the way, Saint-nim.”
“Yes?”
“While I’ve been watching the two of you, I’ve been wondering why Saint-nim always speaks so harshly to Hero-sama.”
“?”
Abel tilted his head at Cloe’s words.
Abel looked at Cloe in confusion— what does she mean by “intentionally harsh”?
But suddenly, Estelle, who had been standing beside him, started looking flustered.
“W-What-What-What do you mean!?”
[...Why is she acting like this?]
Abel looked at Estelle with a puzzled expression, and Cloe added one more line.
“Isn’t that right? The saint always speaks harshly to Hero-sama, but in the end, the saint...
“Cloe?!”
Estelle quickly covered Cloe’s mouth.
“Uwoeb!”
“Ahaha, Cloe must be really tired. Saying all sorts of weird things~♡”
Looking at Estelle’s behavior, Abel eyed her suspiciously, but Estelle avoided his gaze and made a quiet shush gesture toward Cloe. Cloe narrowed her eyes at the sight.
[The saint likes Hero-sama, right?]
It wasn’t a message sent through her eyes. Cloe had used magic to speak directly into her mind.
At Cloe’s question, Estelle’s face turned red without her realizing it. She hadn’t noticed what she was doing. Estelle was used to hiding her emotions from others, but at that moment, she couldn’t.
Seeing the change in her, Cloe was certain. Estelle really likes Abel. Then why does she deliberately speak harshly to the person she likes? It’s not her true feelings.
Cloe put her doubts aside for now and gestured with her hand. Meaning she wouldn’t say anything more. Estelle, who understood that, lowered the hand covering Cloe’s mouth.
Cloe looked at Estelle quietly.
Even I, as a woman, can see she’s beautiful and lovable—her face and figure are just right, not too flashy, not too plain. She’s the kind of woman who attracts men just by standing still. If she shows interest, who could possibly reject her?
But she doesn’t do that with Abel. Even though Estelle likes him herself, somehow she’s been stacking up what looks like rejection. Then...
“...Hero-sama.”
“Yes?”
“Instead of the saint who only speaks harshly, how about me?”
Cloe’s bomb declaration left Abel and Estelle stunned in their own ways.